Doane Academy to acquire former Boudinot School

Gianluca D'Elia @gianluca_delia

Friday

Oct 4, 2019 at 11:53 AM

Burlington City announced last summer that it would sell the elementary school, which faced declining enrollment, for $675,000. Its next door neighbor Doane Academy is purchasing the property to expand its facilities.

BURLINGTON CITY — Doane Academy is expanding its campus by acquiring the former Elias Boudinot Elementary School and its adjacent playground, officials announced to the entire student body Friday morning at a school assembly held on the land that would soon be part of the campus.

The Boudinot School, located directly across West Pearl Street from the academy campus on the Delaware River, was put up for sale by the city for $675,000 in June 2018 after it closed because of low enrollment. When it closed, the district said there were 78 students.

The private academy acquired the property for $450,000 after a contract was approved by the city's board of education during a July 15 meeting. The decision of whether to keep the original Boudinot building or start over has yet to be discussed, Jack Newman, Doane's communications director, said.

The acquisition would increase the size of Doane's campus by approximately 15% and provide room for the school to expand its facilities, according to the school.

"This is a school that's been around for 182 years, so this is a really historic occasion for us," Headmaster George Sanderson said. "We feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. It's unusual for property contiguous to our campus to become available. We're fortunate to be able to take advantage of that opportunity.”

The Boudinot property was once part of the academy's original campus. In 1955, it was sold to the city and became a public school seven years later. Sanderson hailed the chance to expand the campus as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

It is unclear what the academy will use the property for, but Sanderson said Friday morning that the school will evaluate which of its programs are in need of more facilities, as well as what programs the school might want to add in the future.

"We want to get through the whole process before we decide exactly what to do, but we will make use of it. It's not being bought just to buy it,” Sanderson said. "It's also something you look at, 50 or 100 years from now, it's important for us to have room to think about our current and future programs. This gives us the opportunity to do that. There's so much room here, but this gives us more elbow room."

Doane, which was originally founded as a boarding school called St. Mary's Hall in 1837, is an independent, Episcopal, co-educational day school that serves about 230 students from age 3 through grade 12.

To celebrate the announcement Friday, white and blue balloons and pom-poms hung over the chainlink fences of the old public school building and an overgrown playground and basketball court across the street as the school band played and teachers handed out sugar cookies with Doane's logo printed on them.

Student Body President Manav Raval, of Florence, spoke about the move's significance to students at the event.

"As a student and member of the Doane community, it's exciting and fascinating to envision the future of the school and think all of us have the ability to shape what comes next," Raval said in a speech to fellow students. "Although it may be unclear what we'll do with the property, I have faith in the creative minds of students, teachers and members of the community that this place will join the school as an area of study, peace and love."

Vincent Schino, a 2008 graduate and current real estate developer from Bordentown City, said he's optimistic about the school's future, noting that its family-like atmosphere has kept him involved for years after graduating.

"Growth is always a good thing, especially for a school that's been around since 1837," he said. "In terms of the land, there's no way to move toward the river and there's houses on the other side. It made sense to grow and expand the school. It's very exciting."

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.